Sexism in the music industry is alive and well. But it’s almost 2013, you might say. We’re more than a half-century removed from the height of ’50s paternalism. Sadly, we’re not quite as distanced from the weaker-sex mentality as we’d like to think. Whether exploring industrial music, producing or music-related subcultures, misogyny still patiently waits to be acknowledged and abolished. We chatted with Burqueña noisemakers and aural curators about their experiences with sexism in our burg. Read all about it in Burqueñas Talk Musical Misogyny.

Commissioner Michael Wiener told county officials a racy rape joke, according to an investigation. (It’s not the first off-color joke he’s told that’s gotten him into trouble.) He also made inappropriate remarks to a female Bernalillo County worker, the investigation concluded, though he didn’t violate any policies.

A rally is happening right now outside the County Commission meeting near the City-County Building at Fifth Street and Marquette. (Downtown is hopping with protests this evening. The family and friends of those shot by APD are demonstrating on Civic Plaza.)

The rally aimed at Commissioner Wiener is called “Rape is No Joke” and includes the Rape Crisis Center of Central New Mexico, among other groups. They are calling for Wiener’s resignation—which the commissioner has said he has no plans for. He intends to run for re-election in 2012, according to a news release

Feminist blog Jezebel is under fire for a post about Olivia Munn, the new contributor to "The Daily Show." The blog blasted Munn, host of "Attack of the Show," for being hired for the wrong reasons and "The Daily Show" for being sexist and excluding women. Slate magazine reporter Emily Gould responded with her article "Outrage World," which, in turn, called Jezebel blogger Irin Carmon's criticism "petty jealousy." Gould also accused the reporter of using quotes from off-the record conversations with women who had been denied jobs or fired from "The Daily Show." Carmon used Munn's former appearances in Maxim and Playboy, and a clip of her eating suggestive-looking food on her show as evidence that she had been hired more for her sex appeal than brain cells.This claim may be a stretch--Munn did host "Attack of the Show" for four years, after all. But a more knowledgeable critique came from Samantha Bee, the "Most Senior Correspondent" on the "The Daily Show." In contrast to the complaints of the women who were fired from the show, Bee praised it as a great enviornment for working mothers and stated that her gender has not held her back on the show. In Jezebel's scrutiny of the perhaps bitter women who were fired, the blog did not spend enough time on Bee, the woman who had the most experience behind the scenes.

Congressman Ben Ray Lujan sent out a news release today announcing that he’s being targeted by Abusegate, Investigate!. According to its site, the group is bent on ending the “domestic violence industry.” But a further look at the principles and goals of the organization reveals some real gems. (My gift to you. Happy Thursday, everyone.)

Lujan is being singled out because he is one of 20 lawmakers who supports “discriminatory laws such as the International Violence Against Women Act that are known to violate fundamental civil rights and escalate partner tensions,” according to the news release.

Such laws contribute to the destruction of families, says the brain trust propelling Abusegate. There’s also a sister organization called Concerned Women for America that would like to “take the ‘gender’ politics and ‘politically correct’ agenda out of public policy solutions.”

Newsman and Alibi contributor John Bear is fed up with the portrayal of female reporters in film. Hollywood’s hypersexualized, girly journalists should all be fired, Bear opined, for sleeping with their sources.

Crazy Heart sparked his observation and criticism. In the movie, Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a single-mom music writer who interviews an old alcoholic country musician and falls for him. In this interview with Steven Zeitchik of The Roanoke Times, Gyllenhaal addresses sexism, ageism and journalism.

Q: What have the reactions been to the age difference in the on-screen relationship?

A: I get some indignance from women journalists. I think it's difficult for a relationship with a 30-year age difference to be healthy. But it happens all the time. So, what, you don't make movies about it if you think it's not the healthiest thing in the world?

I got sent this article—and I've been trying not to read press—about sexism in our culture, and they cited "Crazy Heart" as an example of yet another movie where the guy's much older and the woman's much younger. And I felt like this person who was writing maybe didn't see the movie. We're not this sexy hero and heroine who are championing our love affair! You can't choose who turns you on.

Q: You play a journalist in this film, which must make it a little bit odd when you're having, well, conversations like these.

A: It's tough talking to journalists because I think (the character) Jean is very green. She's not a seasoned journalist. And sometimes they can be a little critical.

But I think Jean is interested in finding out something true, which is something I'm interested in, in terms of journalists.

Some people have interviewed me, before I stopped reading press—which I haven't entirely done, but I try—and I read the article and thought, "That person came in with an open mind and did their best to figure out something true about me." Other times, I think someone has a fantasy or idea of me and just writes it up. Jean is the first kind.

Q: Have any journalists said things that weren't simply evaluations of your job performance?

A: I had a great interview with the Carpetbagger woman (Melena Ryzik of the New York Times). I loved her—we really got along—but she was like, "I'm so tired of seeing movies where the woman journalist sleeps with her subject." And I was like, "I don't know if it happens, but it happened here." And she's not as tough as you are. Jean isn't as grounded. She's such a feeler. She's fighting through all of that to write this article and be a journalist, but the opposition to that is this powerful, serious attraction.

Q: Which eventually wins out.

A: Yes (pause). And I wonder what (Ryzik) would have done if she was in a room with Jeff Bridges.